Cushioning member and method of manufacturing the same

ABSTRACT

A cushioning member is located between each support frame and the corresponding side of the shutter. The cushioning member includes a pair of belt-shaped base members and pile yarns bridging between the base members. Some of the pile yarns are cut at intermediate portion between the base members, which forms opposing first and second cut pile yarns with a cut in between. One of the base members is attached to each support frame, and the other base member contacts the shutter. The cut permits the cushioning member to flexibly respond to movements of the shutter and satisfactorily exerts a cushioning function to suppress swaying of the shutter.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a cushioning member and a method formanufacturing the cushioning member. For example, the present inventionrelates to a cushioning member for a shutter apparatus including a pairof opposed support frames and a shutter for moving between the supportframes, the cushioning member being interposed between the supportframes and opposite sides of the shutter.

BACKGROUND ART

Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration No.2592349, a silencing band structure has been proposed as a cushioningmember for the shutter apparatus of the above-mentioned kind. Morespecifically, a silencing band body according to this silencing bandstructure includes a band-shaped sliding element and a band-shaped base,which are both formed of a hard material, such as hard vinyl chloride.The sliding element and the base are bridged with mohair such that thecomponents of the sliding element, the base, and the mohair areintegrated to substantially form layers of a unitary member.

The silencing band bodies are mounted on guide rails via the bases, andhave the sliding elements slidably brought into abutment with front andrear surfaces of a shutter curtain mounted on the guide rails. When theshutter curtain is opened and closed, the silencing band structurecauses the sliding elements to slide smoothly on the front and rearsurfaces of the shutter curtain, thereby helping the shutter curtain beopened and closed smoothly.

In the conventional shutter apparatus, the shutter curtain (as ashutter) attempts to move in all directions with respect to the guiderails (support frames), including both front-rear directions and lateraldirections, thereby causing swaying motions. This occurs in varioussituations, including not only when urged by the wind but also when theshutter is opened and closed.

In response to such motions, when the shutter curtain moves in thefront-rear directions, the silencing band body has the mohair as pileyarns bent between the sliding element and the base via the slidingelement. This suppresses generation of noise, such as rattling noisecaused by wind. More specifically, the silencing band body has acushioning function by the operation of the mohair that suppressesmotions of the shutter curtain in the front-rear directions caused, forexample, by the urging of the wind. However, when the shutter curtain ismoved in lateral directions, the sliding element following the motion ispulled by mohair located on opposite lateral sides with respect to thedirection of motion thereof, which makes the sliding element difficultto move, and which prevents the cushioning function from being fullyperformed.

Then again, when the conventional silencing band body is actuallymanufactured, it is possible to employ a method of forming a mohairmember by setting mohair on the sliding element or the base, arrangingends of mohair in order, raising mohair, and other necessary operations,and then bonding the base or the sliding element to the mohair of themohair member. It is possible to employ another method of forming a pairof mohair members, and bonding mohair ends of the mohair members to eachother. Whichever method may be employed, it is required to once form themohair member, and hence the manufacturing process is complicated.Furthermore, since the mohair is flexible, it is difficult to bond themohair only by mohair ends, or aligning them, which makes it verydifficult to manufacture the silencing band body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cushioning memberthat performs a satisfactory cushioning function.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method ofmanufacturing a cushioning member, which is capable of easily andreliably manufacturing the cushioning member comprised of a pair of basemembers and pile yarns bridging between the base members.

To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides acushioning member that includes a pair of base members disposed in amanner opposed to each other and having a band shape, and a plurality ofpile yarns bridging between the base members. Some of the pile yarns arecut at an intermediate portion between the base members to form firstcut pile yarns and second cut pile yarns. The first and second cut pileyarns face each other with a cut in between.

The present invention also provides a method of manufacturing acushioning member. The method includes a wrapping step of wrapping pileyarns around surfaces of an endless band while rotating the endlessband; a base member supply step of supplying to the pile yarns woundaround the endless band a pair of base members which are band-shapedfrom opposite lateral sides of the endless band; a bonding step ofbringing the supplied base members into contact with the pile yarns, andbonding the base members to the pile yarns by using ultrasonic waves; acutting step of cutting the pile yarns located on one of inner and outercircumferences of the endless band at intermediate portion between thebase members, thereby forming a cut in the pile yarns; and a separatingstep of separating the pile yarns together with the base members fromthe endless band via the cut.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cushioning member according to a firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2(a) is a front view of the cushioning member;

FIG. 2(b) is a rear view of the cushioning member;

FIG. 2(c) is a plan view of the cushioning member;

FIG. 2(d) is a right side view of the cushioning member;

FIG. 2(e) is a left side view of the cushioning member;

FIG. 3 is a front view, partly broken, of a shutter apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of a support frame with cushioningmembers mounted thereon;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the support frame with thecushioning members mounted thereon;

FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) each are a plan view of pile yarns displacedlaterally at a cut;

FIG. 7(a) is a conceptual diagram of an apparatus for manufacturing thecushioning member of FIG. 1, in plan view;

FIG. 7(b) is a conceptual diagram of the apparatus for manufacturing thecushioning member of FIG. 1, in side view;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example in which thecushioning member of FIG. 1 is used as a support member for a screen;

FIG. 9 is a front view illustrating a cushioning member according to asecond embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example in which thecushioning member of FIG. 9 is used as a support member for a pane of asliding window;

FIG. 11(a) is a conceptual diagram of an apparatus for manufacturing thecushioning member of FIG. 9, in plan view;

FIG. 11(b) is a conceptual diagram of the apparatus for manufacturingthe cushioning member of FIG. 9, in side view;

FIG. 11(c) is a cross-sectional view for explaining the manufacturingprocedure of the cushioning member of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a front view illustrating a cushioning member according to athird embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example in which thecushioning members of FIG. 12 are used in a shutter apparatus;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example in which thecushioning member of FIG. 12 is used in a ventilation system;

FIG. 15(a) is a conceptual diagram of an apparatus for manufacturing thecushioning member of FIG. 12, in plan view;

FIG. 15(b) is a conceptual diagram of the apparatus for manufacturingthe cushioning member of FIG. 12, in side view;

FIG. 15(c) is a cross-sectional view for explaining the manufacturingprocedure of the cushioning member of FIG. 12;

FIGS. 16(a) to 16(c) are front views each illustrating a jointcushioning member having a pair of the cushioning members of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example in which thecushioning member of FIG. 16(a) is used in a shutter apparatus.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed with reference to the drawings.

First, a description will be given of the construction of a shutterapparatus that uses cushioning members for a shutter apparatus. As shownin FIGS. 3 to 5, the shutter apparatus is comprised of a pair of supportframes 12 set upright on a floor 11 in a manner opposed to each other, ahousing 13 bridging between upper ends of the support frames 12, and ashutter 14 disposed inside the floor 11, the pair of support frames 12,and the housing 13. The support frames 12 function as guiding members.The shutter 14, which functions as a moving member, is formed by joininga plurality of vane plates 16 such that the vane plates 16 pivotrelative to each other. The shutter 14 can be wound round in a spiralmanner by pivotally moving each vane plate 16. Further, inside thehousing 13, a hollow cylindrical drum, not shown, is rotatablysupported, and an upper end of the shutter 14 is connected to an outerperiphery of the drum. Also, as the drum rotates in one direction, theshutter 14 is wound around the outer periphery of the drum, and isreceived in the housing 13, which places the shutter apparatus in anopen state. On the other hand, as the drum rotates in the otherdirection, the shutter 14 is unwound from the outer periphery of thedrum, and is pulled out of the housing 13, which places the shutterapparatus in a closed state.

The support frames 12 are each formed as a hollow square pole of metal,and each support frame 12 has a guide groove 15 formed between inner endfaces thereof such that the guide groove 15 opens toward the inside ofthe shutter apparatus. The shutter 14 has opposite ends. One of theopposite ends is inserted in the guide groove 15 of each support frames12. When the opening or closing operation is carried out to place theshutter apparatus in the open state or the closed state, each supportframe 12 functions to support the shutter 14 while guiding the shutter14 the guide grooves 15 such that the shutter 14 can verticallyreciprocate. Further, each guide groove 15 has opposite inner surfaceseach of which is formed with a receiving linear recess 17. The receivinglinear recesses 17 extend along the longitudinal direction of the frame12 and open toward the front surface and the rear surface of the shutter14. These receiving linear recesses 17 each have open ends thereofformed with a pair of protrusions 18, whereby the opening of thereceiving linear recess 17 is limited to a predetermined width. Gaps areformed between one of the inner surfaces of each guide groove 15 and thefront and between the other inner surface of the guide groove 15 and therear surface of the shutter 14, respectively. Cushioning members 20 fora shutter apparatus are respectively received in the receiving linearrecesses 17 such that the cushioning members 20 block the gaps.

Next, the construction of the cushioning member 20 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1 to 2(e), the cushioning member 20 is comprised of apair of base members 21 having a band shape and disposed in a manneropposed to each other, and a plurality of pile yarns 22 set on the basemembers 21 in a manner bridging the pair of base members.

The base members 21 are formed of a film of a synthetic resin having anexcellent wear resistance and a low coefficient of kinetic friction.Examples of such a synthetic resin include olefinic resins, such asultra-high polymer polyethylene and polypropylene; amide resins, such asaliphatic polyamides and aromatic polyamides; acrylic resins, such aspolyacryl; ester resins, such as polyethylene terephthalate;fluorocarbon resins, and so forth. Further, at an intermediate portionin the width of each base member 21, there is formed a pair of guidelinear protrusions 21 a that extend along the length of the base memberwith a predetermined gap between the pair of protrusions. The pair ofguide linear protrusions 21 a are in parallel with each other toposition the pile yarns 22.

The pile yarns 22 are bent into a U shape, and the bent portion of thepile yarns 22 is inserted between the two guide linear protrusions 21 a.Methods of joining the pile yarns 22 to the base member 21 include usingan adhesive or ultrasonic waves, welding by application of heat, and soforth, from which a suitable one is selected as desired. Among them,ultrasonic bonding is preferable since the base member 21 and the pileyarns 22 can be firmly joined to each other, and changes in the shape ofthe pile yarns 22 can be suppressed except at the joined portionthereof.

The pile yarns 22 are formed of yarns of fibers having a high durabilityand excellent in a restoring property and a non-water-absorbingproperty, such as filament yarns, spun yarns, or like yarns. Examples ofsuch fibers include synthetic fibers made of synthetic resins mentionedconcerning the base members 21, semisynthetic fibers made of rayon orthe like, natural fibers made of cotton or the like, etc. Among these,particularly synthetic resins made of olefinic resins, such aspolypropylene; amide resins made, for example, of aliphatic polyamidesand aromatic polyamides have an excellent restoring property ofrestoring from the compressed state, which make them more preferable asfibers for the pile yarns 22. Further, when the pile yarns 22 are joinedto the base member 21 by ultrasonic bonding, it is further preferable touse a synthetic resin that is of the same family that is used for thebase member 21.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cushioning member 20 is fixed to theguide groove 15 of the support frame 12 by having a first base member 21inserted into the receiving linear recess 17. Further, the second basemember 21 of the cushioning member 20 is supported on the pile yarns 22protruding from the opening of the receiving linear recess 17, and atthe same time urged on the front surface or back surface of the shutter14 by the same pile yarns 22, for being brought into contact therewith.The shutter 14 is supported by a pair of cushioning members 20 in amanner sandwiched thereby from the front and rear sides.

When the shutter is opened and closed, the shutter 14 is reciprocatedvertically with the front and rear surfaces thereof being slid on thesecond base members 21 of the cushioning members 20. At this time, sincethe second base members 21 are formed of the synthetic resin having alow coefficient of kinetic friction, the shutter 14 slides on thecushioning members 20, whereby the cushioning members 20 perform thefunction of reducing the sliding resistance offered when the shutter isopened and closed.

When the shutter is opened and closed while the shutter is urged by thewind, or on like occasions, the shutter 14 is urged toward the secondbase members 21 due to swaying or rattling motion thereof. At this time,the shutter 14 is received by the pile yarns 22 via the second basemembers 21, and is urged back, whereby the cushioning members 20suppress swaying and rattling motions of the shutter 14.

To enable the cushioning members 20 to satisfactorily perform theresistance-reducing function and the cushioning function, the pile yarns22 have a single yarn fineness of 5 to 110 decitex, more preferably 10to 70 decitex, further preferably 10 to 35 decitex. Conventionally, astrand (multi-filament strand) formed by twisting together a pluralityof filaments, or fibers, is used for a pile yarn 22. The term “singleyarn fineness” refers to a degree of fineness of one filament in asingle pile yarn 22. As the single yarn fineness is decreased, therigidity of the pile yarns 22 is lowered, which can undesirably inhibitthe cushioning members 20 from fully performing a desired cushioningfunction, and can cause inconveniences, such as yielding of the pileyarns 22. As the single yarn fineness is increased, the flexibility ofthe pile yarns 22 becomes lowered, which causes the second base member21 to be pressed against the shutter 14 with a strong force. This makesit impossible for the cushioning members 20 to fully perform theresistance-reducing function, causing inconveniences when the shutter 14is opened and closed.

Further, the fineness of the pile yarn 22 itself is preferably 100 to2200 decitex, more preferably 500 to 2200 decitex, most preferably 600to 1650 decitex. In some cases a strand (mono-filament strand) formed bya single filament, instead of a multi-filament strand, is used for thepile yarn 22. For excellent performance of the resistance-reducingfunction and the cushioning function, it is preferred that the finenessof the pile yarn 22 itself is set as described above. Further, as thefineness of the pile yarn 22 is decreased, the rigidity of the pileyarns 22 is lowered, which makes it impossible for the cushioningmembers 20 to fully performing the desired cushioning function. As thefineness of the pile yarn 22 is increased, the flexibility of the pileyarns 22 is lowered, which makes it possible to fully perform theresistance-reducing function.

The number of pile yarns 22 set on the base member 21 is preferably 1000to 10000 per inch along the length of the base member 21, morepreferably 1000 to 8000, most preferably, 1500 to 6500. As the number ofpile yarns 22 per inch along the length of the base member 21 decrease,the density of the pile yarns 22 on the base member 21 becomes lower,which makes it easier to form space between the pile yarns 22. When thedensity of the pile yarns 22 is lowered, the pile yarns 22 cannotsupport each other, which lowers the rigidity of the whole pile yarns22. This makes it impossible to sufficiently receive the shutter 14, andfully perform the cushioning function. As the number of pile yarns 22per inch increases, the density of the pile yarns 22 on the base member21 becomes higher, which makes the pile yarns 22 liable to beexcessively dense. When the density of the pile yarns 22 thus becomesexcessively dense, the flexibility of the whole pile yarns 22 becomeslow, so that the second base member 21 is caused to be pressed againstthe shutter 14 with a strong force, which increases the slidingresistance, thereby making it impossible for the cushioning members 20to fully perform the resistance-reducing function.

As shown in FIG. 1 to 2(e), part of pile yarns 22, specifically, thepile yarns 22 that are set toward one side from the center in thedirection of width of the base member 21 are cut at intermediate portionbetween the base members 21. The cut pile yarns 22 include first cutpile yarns 22 extending from the first base member 21, and second cutpile yarns 22 extending from the second base member 21. The distal ends(cut ends) of the first cut pile yarns 22 and the distal ends (cut ends)of the second cut pile yarns 22 face each other with the cut 23 inbetween. The cut 23 is formed such that it extends along the length ofthe base member 21 over the whole length of the cushioning member 20.

The cut pile yarns 22 open to have ends thereof spread apart. The distalportion of the cut pile yarns 22 bulge in a lateral direction relativeto the length of the base members 21. Therefore, the cut pile yarns 22are denser at the proximal portion than at the distal portion. The pileyarns 22 other than the cut pile yarns 22, that is, non-cut pile yarns22 connecting the base members 21 to each other are flexed between thebase members 21 to bulge in a lateral direction relative to the lengthof the base members 21. Therefore, the non-cut pile yarns 22 are denserat the proximal portion than at the intermediate portion. The pile yarns22 as a whole are expanded at a central portion thereof between the twobase members 21 in the opposite lateral directions with respect to thelongitudinal direction of the base members 21, whereby the cross-sectionperpendicular to the length of the base members 21 is approximatelyrhombus-shaped. The flexed portion of the non-cut pile yarns 22 are moreeasily bent, compared with straight pile yarns.

If the pile yarns 22 are crushed and compressed when the pile yarns 22receive external force by way of the second base member 21 as theshutter 14 moves, the pile yarns 22 generates resilient force to restorethe original shape. The cushioning function of the cushioning member 20is exhibited by the resilient force. However, as the resilient force ofthe pile yarns 22 is increased, the second base member 21 is excessivelypressed against the shutter 14 with a larger force, which increases thesliding resistance of the shutter 14 to the cushioning members 20, tomake it impossible for the cushioning members 20 to fully perform theresistance-reducing function. Therefore, in this embodiment, thecushioning members 20 are formed with the cut 23, whereby the cushioningfunction and the resistance-reducing function are suitably performeddepending on the situation. More specifically, the cushioning members 20perform the cushioning function and the resistance-reducing function ina well-balanced manner when receiving a weak external force. Whenreceiving a strong external force, the cushioning members 20 perform thecushioning function preferentially over the resistance-reducingfunction. When the shutter 14 sways during opening and closing of theshutter 14, the cushioning members 20 receive a relatively weak externalforce. When the shutter 14 is urged by wind, the cushioning members 20receive a relatively great external force.

More specifically, when a weak external force applied to the cushioningmembers 20 as the shutter 14 moves frontward and rearward, the non-cutpile yarns 22 bow and the entire non-cut pile yarns 22 are uniformlybent to generate the resilient force. On the other hand, in the cut pileyarns 22, the ends of the first cut pile yarns 22 or the second pileyarns 22, with the cut 23 in between, enter between the ends of theother cut pile yarns 22. Therefore, the cut pile yarns 22 do notgenerate the resilient force. This softens the resilient force appliedfrom the whole pile yarns 22 to the shutter 14. Therefore, when theexternal force is weak, the cushioning members 20 generate only aresilient force corresponding to the external force, but appropriatelyperform the cushioning function to a necessary and sufficient extent tothereby suppress swaying of the shutter 14 and generation of unusualnoise, such as rattling, when the shutter 14 is opened and closed.Further, since only the resilient force corresponding to the externalforce is generated, the cushioning function and the resistance-reducingfunction are performed in a well-balanced manner, whereby the operationsof opening and closing the shutter 14 are properly performed.

When the external force applied to the cushioning members 20 isrelatively strong, the ends of the first cut pile yarns 22 or the secondpile yarns 22, with the cut 23 in between, deeply enter between the endsof the other cut pile yarns 22. At this time, since the cut pile yarns22 are denser toward the proximal ends, the first and second cut pileyarns 22 are easily hooked with each other, which increases theresistance generated when the cut pile yarns 22 engage with one another.Alternatively, the ends of the cut pile yarns 22 engage with the basemembers 21. This causes the cut pile yarns 22 to be bowed similarly tothe non-cut pile yarns 22, and the whole thereof is uniformly bent togenerate the resilient force. As the external force applied to thecushioning members 20 is increased, the resistance generated when thefacing cut first or second pile yarns 22 enter the other cut pile yarns22 is increased, or the number of the cut pile yarns 22 that are hookedwith one another is increased. Accordingly, the resilient forcegenerated by the cut pile yarns 22 is increased. Therefore, when theapplied external force is relatively strong, the cushioning members 20perform the cushioning function preferentially over theresistance-reducing function, thereby generating strong resilient forcescapable of sufficiently receiving the strong external force. As aresult, the cushioning members 20 suppress large motion of the shutter14, as well as generation of large unusual noise, such as rattling noisecaused by wind.

The cushioning members 20, each having a length of 10 cm, were actuallymade using pile yarns 22 made of polypropylene and having a fineness of1350 decitex/52 filaments, such that 1800 yarns were set per inch alongthe length of the base members 21, and a distance between the basemembers 21 was equal to 7 mm. Then, the cushioning member 20 wascompressed in the direction of extension of the pile yarns 22 (in adirection decreasing the distance between the base members 21), and theresilient force generated by the cushioning members 20 was measured. Theresult of the measurement showed that until the amount of compressionbecomes equal to 2 mm, the resilient force is linearly increased inproportion to the compressive force, and that when the amount ofcompression exceeds 2 mm, the resilient force is increased in a curvemore than corresponding to the compressive force.

In addition, when the shutter 14 moves laterally, as shown in FIGS. 6(a)and 6(b), the first and second cut pile yarns 22, which face each otherwith the cut 23 in between, are laterally displaced with respect to eachother (in a lateral direction as viewed in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b)). Thisenables the second base member 21 to flexibly follow the motion of theshutter 14, and the cushioning member 20 always maintains contactbetween the second base member 21 and the shutter 14. Therefore, thecushioning members 20 flexibly follow all motions of the shutter 14, andfully perform the above-described cushioning function and theresistance-reducing function.

Next, the construction of an apparatus for manufacturing the cushioningmember 20 will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b), the manufacturing apparatus includes anendless band 51 formed by connecting opposite ends of a band-shapedmember. The endless band 51 extends around a plurality of rollers 52.Assuming that a left side end as viewed in the figures is a starting endand a right side end in the same is a terminating end, the endless band51 is rotated within the apparatus as the rollers 52 at the starting endside are driven by a rotation drive apparatus 53. Between the rollers 52at the starting end side and rollers 52 at the terminating end side,there are arranged a pile yarn supply section 54, a base member supplysection 55, a bonding section 56, a cutting section 57, and a collectingsection 58, in the order from the starting end side to the terminatingend side.

The pile yarn supply section 54 includes a pair of bobbins 59 opposed toeach other with the endless band 51 therebetween. The bobbins 59 areconfigured such that they rotate about an axis along the extendingdirection of the endless band 51 while supplying the pile yarns 22 ontothe surface of the endless band 51. The base member supply section 55includes a pair of supply drums 60 opposed to each other, with theendless band 51 therebetween. Each supply drum 60 has the base member 21received thereon in a state wound therearound, and the base members 21unwound from the supply drum 60 are supplied to opposite lateral sidesof the endless band 51 to hold the endless band 51, such that thesupplied base members 21 are moved in parallel with the endless band 51.

The bonding section 56 includes a pair of horns 61 for transmittingultrasonic vibrations to the base members 21 and a pair of urgingmembers 62 for urging the base members 21 against the endless band 51.Each horn 61 forms a pair with one of the urging members 62. Each pairof one of the horns 61 and the associated urging member 62 sandwichesthe endless band 51, and the two pairs are arranged in a staggeredconfiguration with respect to the direction of rotation of the endlessband 51. That is, the first horn 61 faces the first urging member 62,and the second horn 61 faces the second urging member 62. The cuttingsection 57 includes a cutting blade 63 that faces the inner or outercircumference of the endless band 51. In FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b), thecutting blade 63 faces the inner circumference of the endless band 51,and the cutting blade 63 is disposed in the center in the direction ofwidth of the endless band 51. The collecting section 58 has a collectingdrum 64 disposed toward one side of the endless band 51, and themanufactured cushioning members 20 are taken up on the collecting drum64, for being collected.

Next, a description will be given of a method of manufacturing thecushioning member 20 using the above manufacturing apparatus.

The cushioning member 20 is made through a wrapping step, a base membersupply step, a bonding step, a cutting step, and a separating step.

The wrapping step is performed for wrapping pile yarns 22 around thesurfaces of the endless band 51, and is executed by the pile yarn supplysection 54 of the manufacturing apparatus. In the pile yarn supplysection 54, the pair of bobbins 59 supply pile yarns 22 onto the endlessband 51 while rotating about the endless band 51. Then, the pile yarns22 supplied onto the endless band 51 is wound around the surfaces of theendless band 51 in a spiral manner, and is moved toward the terminatingend together with the endless band 51.

The base material supply step is performed for supplying the basemembers 21 from lateral sides of the endless band 51 to the pile yarnswound around the endless band 51, and is executed by the base membersupply section 55 of the manufacturing apparatus. In the base membersupply section 55, the base members 21 unwound from the respectivesupply drums 60 are supplied such that the base members 21 arepositioned at the opposite lateral sides of the endless band 51. At thistime, positioning is carried out such that the pile yarns 22 woundaround the endless band 51 are positioned between a pair of guide linearprotrusions 21 a provided on each base member 21.

The bonding step is performed for bringing the supplied base members 21into contact with the pile yarns 22 and causing the base members 21 andthe pile yarns 22 to be bonded to each other using ultrasonic waves, andis executed by the bonding section 56 of the manufacturing apparatus. Inthe bonding section 56, while each urging member 62 urges one of thebase members 21 from one lateral side of the endless band 51 to bringthe same into contact with the pile yarns 22, the horns 61 are broughtinto contact with the other base member 21 from the other lateral sideof the endless band 51. Then, ultrasonic vibrations are transmitted viathe horns 61 to the base members 21, and due to the vibrations of theultrasonic waves, the base members 21 and the pile yarns 22 are bondedat the site where they are in contact with each other.

The cutting step is performed for cutting the pile yarns 22 at anintermediate portion of the base members 21 on one of the inner andouter circumferences of the endless band 51, to form the cut 23, and isexecuted by the cutting section 57 of the manufacturing apparatus. Inthe cutting section 57, a center of the lower half of the pile yarns 22wound around the endless band 51 is cut through by the cutting blade 63facing the inner circumference of the endless band 51. As a result, thecushioning member 20 having the cut 23 is made in a manner covering theendless band 51.

The separating step is performed for separating the pile yarns 22,together with a pair of base members 21, via the cut 23 from the otherside of the endless band 51, and is executed by the collecting section58 of the manufacturing apparatus. In the collecting section 58, thecushioning member 20 on the endless band 51 is pulled upward, either byrotation of the drum 64 or manual operation of workers. This causes thefirst and second cut pile yarns 22 facing each other with the cut 23 inbetween to be bent, expanding the cut 23, whereby the cushioning member20 is pulled off from the endless band 51, and is separated from theendless band 51. Then, the manufactured cushioning member 20 is woundaround the collecting drum 64, for being collected.

The following gives a description of advantages exhibited by the aboveembodiment.

The cushioning member 20 of the present embodiment includes a pair ofbase members 21, and pile yarns 22 bridging between the base members 21.Some of the pile yarns 22 are cut in intermediate portion between thebase members 21, which forms the first and second cut pile yarns 22facing each other with the cut 23 in between. By providing the cut 23,the pile yarns 22 appropriately perform the cushioning function and theresistance-reducing function in a well-balanced manner, in response to arelatively weak force applied thereto, for example, by swaying of theshutter 14 occurring when the shutter 14 is opened and closed, andpreferentially perform the cushioning function in response to arelatively strong force applied thereto, for example, by urging of thewind. Further, when the shutter 14 is laterally swayed, the first andsecond cut pile yarns 22 are displaced laterally relative to each otherwith the cut 23 as a boundary in a manner coping with the motion of theshutter 14, whereby the state of the shutter 14 being in contact withthe second base members 21 is maintained. This enables the cushioningmembers 20 to flexibly respond to motions of the shutter 14, and therebyperform the cushioning function of suppressing swaying of the shutter14.

The pile yarns 22 are formed such that the cross-section perpendicularto the length of the base members 21 is generally rhombus-shaped.Therefore, responsive to a relatively weak external force applied to thecushioning members 20 by the shutter 14, some of the pile yarns 22(non-cut pile yarns 22) are bent whereby both the cushioning functionand the resistance-reducing function of causing the shutter 14 to beopened and closed smoothly can be performed in a well-balanced manner.Further, responsive to a relatively strong external force applied to thecushioning members 20 by the shutter 14, the whole pile yarns 22 (thecut pile yarns 22 and the non-cut pile yarns) are bent whereby thecushioning function is preferentially performed to suppress the motionof the shutter 14 and generation of unusual noise such as rattling noisecaused by wind.

The cushioning member 20 is manufactured through the wrapping step ofwrapping the pile yarns 22 around the surfaces of the endless band 51,the base member supply step of supplying the base members 21 fromopposite lateral sides of the pile yarns 22, the bonding step of bondingthe base members 21 to the pile yarns 22 by ultrasonic waves, and thecutting step of cutting some of the pile yarns 22 to form the cut 23.Further, in the separating step, the thus made cushioning member 20 isseparated from the endless band 51 via the cut 23, and collected. Thismakes it possible to manufacture the cushioning members 20 almostautomatically using the manufacturing apparatus without carrying outcomplicated operations. Therefore, it is possible to easily and reliablymanufacture the cushioning member 20 comprised of a pair of base members21 and pile yarns 22 bridging between the base members 21.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example in which the cushioning members 20 areused as supporting members for supporting the sides of a door or awindow screen 70. The cushioning members 20 are attached to side frames71 of a door or a window (only one of the side frames is shown in FIG.8). Each side frame 71, which is a guiding member, has a guide groove 72that extends vertically (in a direction perpendicular to the elevationof FIG. 8). A vertically extending receiving linear recess 17 is formedin each of inner sides of the guide groove 72 facing each other. Thecushioning member 20 is fixed to the guide groove 72 of the side frame71 by having a base members 21 inserted into the receiving linearrecesses 73.

Each side of the screen 70, which is a moving member, is located in oneof the guide grooves 72, and the screen can be moved up and down alongthe guide grooves 72. Each side section of the screen 70 is insertedinto a cut 23 of one of the cushioning members 20. The first cut pileyarns 22 and the second cut pile yarns 22, which face each other withthe cut 23 in between, hold the side section of the screen 70 andsupport the screen 70 from the front and rear sides. Therefore, thescreen 70 is lifted and lowered with the side sections being held by thecushioning members 20, while sliding on the cut pile yarns 22. The cutpile yarns 22 satisfactorily exert a cushioning function to suppressshaking of the screen 70 frontward and rearward (in a vertical directionas viewed in FIG. 8). On the other hand, the non-cut pile yarns 22 ofthe cushioning member 20 receive a side edge of the screen 70, and exerta satisfactory cushioning function to suppress shaking of the screen 70in the width direction (shaking to left and right as viewed in FIG. 8).

As described above, the cushioning member 20 is not only applicable tothe shutter apparatus, but may also be used as supporting members forthe screen 70. Other than the supporting members for the screen 70, thecushioning member 20 may be used as supporting members for various typesof sheet members and plate members, such as glass panes and panels. Inthese case, the cushioning member 20 may be used for fixed sheet membersor plate members or for slidable sheet members or plate members.Further, the cushioning member 20 may be attached to the edge of a meshscreen. In this case, the distal ends of the cut pipe yarns 22 of thecushioning member 20 are engaged with the mesh of the screen, therebyfunctioning to prevent entry of small animals such as insects.

A third embodiment of the present invention will now be described withreference to FIGS. 9 and 11(c). The differences from the firstembodiment of FIGS. 1 to 8 will mainly be, discussed.

As shown in FIG. 9, a cushioning member 120 in this embodiment isdifferent from the cushioning member 20 of FIG. 1 in that a film 80extends between the base members 21. The film 80 is located at thecenter in the width direction of the base members 21, and extends alongthe entire length of the cushioning member 120 in the longitudinaldirection of the base members 21. The cut pile yarns 22 are provided onone side of the film 80, and the non-cut pile yarns 22 are locatedprovided on the other side of the film 80.

The film 80 is formed of a material having a high durability andexcellent in a restoring property and a non-water-absorbing property.Preferably, the film 80 is formed of a polypropylene sheet. Thethickness of the film 80 is selected in accordance with the use of thecushioning member 120. In a case where a high flexibility of thecushioning member 120 is chiefly required, a relatively thin film isused as the film 80. In a case where a high load-carrying capacity isrequired, a relatively thick film is used as the film 80.

In a case where the cushioning member 120 having the film 80 is appliedto the shutter apparatus shown in FIG. 4 instead of the cushioningmember 20 of FIG. 1 having no film 80, the following advantages areobtained. That is, compared to the cushioning member 20 having no film80, the cushioning member 120 having the film 80 has a greater resilientforce (elastic force), and has a better shielding effect against liquidand foreign matter. Therefore, in a situation where the cushioningmember receives relatively great load from the shutter 14 of the shutterapparatus, the cushioning member 120 having the film 80 is preferablyapplied to the shutter apparatus. Further, if the cushioning member 120having the film 80 is applied to the shutter apparatus, wind, rain, anddust are reliably prevented from entering the interior of the supportframe 12. Since the film 80 is located at the center in the widthdirection of the cushioning member 120, the cushioning member 120 isdeformed by received load in a well-balanced manner, and thus performsthe cushioning function and the resistance-reducing function in asatisfactory manner.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example in which the cushioning member 120 ofFIG. 9 is used as a support member for a glass pane 90 of a slidingwindow. The cushioning member 120 is attached to a lower frame 91 of thesliding window such that the cut 23 faces upward. The lower frame 91,which is a guiding member, has a guide groove 92 that extendshorizontally (in a direction perpendicular to the elevation of FIG. 10).The base members 21 of the cushioning member 120 are fixed to innersides of the guide groove 92 facing each other. The coupling positionsof the pile yarns 22 to the base members 21 are displaced from thecenter of the width of the base members 21, such that the non-cut pileyarns 22 contact the bottom of the guide groove 92.

The lower side of the glass pane 90, which is a moving member, islocated in the guide groove 92, and the glass pane 92 can be movedhorizontally along the guide groove 92. The lower side of the glass pane90 is inserted into the cut 23 of the cushioning member 120. The firstcut pile yarns 22 and the second cut pile yarns 22, which face eachother with the cut 23 in between, hold the lower end section of theglass pane 90 and support the glass pane 90 from the front and rearsides. Therefore, the glass pane 90 is moved with the lower end sectionbeing held by the cushioning member 120, while sliding on the cut pileyarns 22. The cut pile yarns 22 satisfactorily exerts a cushioningfunction to prevent the glass pane 90 from shaking frontward andrearward (to left and right as viewed in FIG. 10).

On the other hand, the film 80 receives the lower edge of the glass pane90. To bear the load applied by the glass pane 90, a relatively thickmaterial is preferably used as the film 80. Specifically, apolypropylene sheet having a thickness that is greater than the size ofthe pile yarns 22 is preferably used as the film 80. Part of the non-cutpile yarns 22 between the bottom of the guide groove 92 and the film 80functions, together with the film 80, as a cushion to receive thevertical load. Accordingly, the glass pane 90 is satisfactorilyprevented from shaking vertically, and vertical impacts aresatisfactorily absorbed.

Like the cushioning member 20 of FIG. 1 having no film 80, thecushioning member 120 of FIG. 9 having the film 80 may be used as asupporting member for various types of sheet members and plate membersother than the supporting member for the glass pane 90. For example, thecushioning member 120 having the film 80 may be applied to the screen 70shown in FIG. 8, doors, and panels. In these case, the cushioning member20 may be used for fixed sheet members or plate members or for slidablesheet members or plate members.

FIGS. 11(a) to 11(c) illustrate an apparatus for manufacturing thecushioning member 120 shown in FIG. 9. The manufacturing apparatus shownin FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b) is formed by adding a film supply section 65 tothe manufacturing apparatus shown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b). The filmsupply section 65 is located upstream of the pile yarn supply section54. The film supply section 65 has a spool 66 for accommodating the film80 in a wounded state. The film 80 drawn from the spool 66 is suppliedto the outer circumferential surface of the endless band 51, and then,together with the endless band 51, supplied to the pile yarn supplysection 54.

The cushioning member 120 is made through, after the film supply step,the wrapping step, the base member supply step, the bonding step, thecutting step, and the separating step. The film supply step performedfor supplying the film 80 to the outer circumferential surface of theendless band 51, and is executed by the film supply section 65. The film80 drawn from the spool 66 is supplied to the outer circumferentialsurface of the endless band 51, and covers the outer surface of theendless band 51 (see FIG. 11(c)).

In the next wrapping step, pile yarns 22 supplied by the pair of thebobbins 59 are wrapped around the endless belt 51 covered with the film80 (see FIG. 11(c)). Thereafter, in the same manner as the procedureshown in FIGS. 7(a) and 7(b), the base member supply step, the bondingstep, the cutting step, and the separating step are performed.Particularly, in the bonding step, the base members 21, the pile yarns22, and the film 80 are joined together at contacting areas byvibrations of ultrasonic waves generated by the horns 61.

A third embodiment of the present invention will now be described withreference to FIGS. 12 to 15(c). The differences from the secondembodiment of FIGS. 9 to 11(c) will mainly be discussed.

As shown in FIG. 12, a cushioning member 220 in this embodiment has afilm 80 extending between the base members 21 like the cushioning member120 of FIG. 9. However, this cushioning member 220 of this embodiment isdifferent from the cushioning member 120 of FIG. 9 in that the film 80is located outward of the pile yarns 22. The film 80 covers the non-cutpile yarns 22 at a side opposite from the cut 23.

FIG. 13 illustrates an example in which the cushioning. members 220 ofFIG. 12 are used in a shutter apparatus. The cushioning members 220 areattached to the support frame 12 such that the cuts 23 face the interiorof the support frame 12, or the films 80 faces outward of the supportframe 12. Since the films 80 face outward, this configuration has abetter shielding effect compared to a case where the cushioning member120 of FIG. 9 is applied to a shutter apparatus. Further, since the pileyarns 22 are shield from the exterior of the support frame 12 with thefilm 80, the pile yarns 22 are prevented from being contaminated.

FIG. 14 illustrates an example in which the cushioning member 220 ofFIG. 12 is used in a ventilation system. The ventilation system includesa blower apparatus 95 and a duct 96 extending form the blower apparatus95. The cushioning member 220 is located between the blower apparatus 95and the duct 96. The cushioning member 220 hermetically connects theblower apparatus 95 with the duct 96. One of the base members 21 isattached to the blower apparatus 95, and the other base member 21 isattached to the duct 96. The film 80 is arranged to face the exterior.

The blower apparatus 95 has a motor (not shown) and generates an airflow in the duct 96 by activating the motor. The cushioning member 220having the film 80 prevents air from leaking from the joint between theblower apparatus 95 and the duct 96 and forms an airtight space betweenthe blower apparatus 95 and the duct 96. Further, the cushioning member220 permits the blower apparatus 95 and the duct 96 to move relative toeach other, thereby preventing vibrations generated by the motor frombeing transmitted from the blower apparatus 95 to the duct 96. That is,the cushioning member 220 satisfactorily functions as an airtight sealand a vibration damper.

FIGS. 15(a) to 15(c) illustrate an apparatus for manufacturing thecushioning member 220 shown in FIG. 12. The manufacturing apparatus ofFIGS. 15(a) and 15(b) is different from the manufacturing apparatus ofFIGS. 11(a) and 11(b) in that the film supply section 65 is locatedbetween the pile yarn supply section 54 and the base member supplysection 55.

The cushioning member 220 is made by performing the film supply stepafter the wrapping step, and then performing the base member supplystep, the bonding step, the cutting step, and the separating step. Inthe film supply step, the film 80 is supplied to the pile yarns 22,which has been wound around the endless band 51 in the wrapping step,from the outer circumference of the endless band 51. The film 80 drawnfrom the spool 66 of the film supply section 65 covers the pile yarns 22on the outer circumferential surface of the endless band 51 (see FIG.15(c)).

In the base member supply step, the base members 21 unwound from therespective supply drums 60 are supplied such that the base members 21are positioned at the opposite lateral sides of the endless band 51. Atthis time, positioning is carried out such that each side section of theendless band 51 is located between the guide linear projections 21 a ofone of the base members 21, and both ends of the film 80 are folded toencompass the pile yarns 22 on the endless band 51 (see FIG. 15(c)).Thereafter, in the same manner as the procedure shown in FIGS. 11(a) and11(b), the bonding step, the cutting step, and the separating step areperformed.

It should be noted that the present embodiments can be modified toprovide following variations thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 16(a) to 16(c), a joint cushioning member 300 may beformed by connecting a pair of the cushioning members 20 of FIG. 1. Thejoint cushioning member 300 is formed by placing the two cushioningmembers 20 side by side and coupling each adjacent pair of the basemembers 21. The adjacent base members 21 are coupled to each other withan adhering member 301, which is, for example, an adhesive tape or aTypar (a registered trademark of Du Pont).

In FIG. 16(a), the cushioning members 20 are coupled such that the cuts23 face the same direction. In FIG. 16(b), the cushioning members 20 arecoupled such that the cuts 23 face away from each other (face outward).In FIG. 16(b), the cushioning members 20 are coupled such that the cuts23 face each other (face inward).

FIG. 17 illustrates an example in which the joint cushioning members 300of FIG. 16(a) are used in a shutter apparatus. Since the jointcushioning members 300 contact the shutter 14 at a large area, theshutter 14 is more satisfactorily prevented from shaking and vibratingthan a case where the cushioning members 20 of FIG. 1 is used. It isneedless to mention that the joint cushioning member 300 of FIGS. 16(b)and 16(c) may be applied to a shutter apparatus. Any of the jointcushioning members 300 shown in FIGS. 16(a) to 16(c) is selectedaccording to the type of shutter apparatuses and the environments inwhich the shutter apparatuses are installed.

Although not illustrated, each of the joint cushioning members 300 shownin FIGS. 16(a) to 16(c) may be formed by coupling a pair of thecushioning members 120 shown in FIG. 9 or by coupling a pair of thecushioning members 220 shown in FIG. 12. In this case, the jointcushioning member 300 may be applied to an apparatus that requiresairtightness, such as the ventilation system shown in FIG. 14.

Further, each of the joint cushioning members 300 shown in FIGS. 16(a)to 16(c) may be formed by coupling any two of the cushioning member ofFIG. 1, the cushioning member 120 of FIG. 9, and the cushioning member220 of FIG. 12.

At least one of the base members 21 and the pile yarns 22 may be givenwith weather resistance. The weather resistance can be given by a methodof blending a weather resistance agent in a synthetic resin used for thebase members 21 or the pile yarns 22, a method of coating the basemembers 21 or the pile yarns 22 with a processing liquid containing theweather resistance agent, and so forth. As the weather resistance agent,there may be mentioned a hindered amine-based light stabilizer, abenzotriazole-based ultraviolet absorber, etc. This configuration canenhance the durability of the base members or the pile yarns. In thecushioning members 120, 220 each having the film 80, the film 80 mayalso given with weather resistance in the same manner.

The base members 21 are not limited to a film, but they may be formed bya woven fabric, a knitted fabric, a nonwoven fabric, a sheet, or thelike, made of a synthetic resin.

The shutter apparatus is not limited to a type that is vertically openedand closed, but other types that are opened and closed horizontally,including a type that is opened and closed in a front-rear direction anda type that is opened and closed in a left-right direction, or a typethat is once opened/closed in a front-rear direction and then verticallyopened/closed, can be made.

The back surface of the first base members 21 fixed to each supportframe 12 in the shutter apparatus may be formed with an adhesive layer,for example, by applying a pressure-sensitive adhesive agent, such as arubber-based agent or a acrylic-based agent, or a double-faced adhesivetape formed by coating a pressure-sensitive adhesive agent on both sidesof a core material. Then, the cushioning member 20 may be attached tothe inner bottom surface of the receiving liner recess 17 via theadhesive layer. Alternatively, the support frame 12 may be formed byomitting the receiving linear recesses 17 or the guide groove 15, andthe cushioning member 20 may be attached to a predetermined location ofthe support frame 12 via the adhesive layer. When the cushioning membersare applied to apparatus other than shutter apparatuses, it is needlessto mention that the base members 21 may be attached to an object viaadhesive layer.

In the manufacturing method according to the illustrated embodiments,the cushioning member 20 (120, 220) is separated from the endless band51 and then wound around the collecting drum 64, for being collected.This is not limitative. That is, after the cushioning member 20 (120,220) is pulled off and separated from the endless band 51 by manualoperation of workers, the cushioning member 20 (120, 220) as separatedmay be cut to a desired length without being wound up, for beingcollected as cushioning members 20 (120, 220) having a linear shape.When configured as described above, the collecting drum 64 may beomitted, and the construction of the manufacturing apparatus can besimplified.

1. A cushioning member comprising: a pair of base members disposed in amanner opposed to each other and having a band shape; and a plurality ofpile yarns bridging between the base members, the cushioning memberbeing characterized in that: some of the pile yarns are cut at anintermediate portion between the base members to form first cut pileyarns and second cut pile yarns, the first and second cut pile yarnsfacing each other with a cut in between.
 2. The cushioning memberaccording to claim 1, wherein the pile yarns bulge in both lateraldirections of the base members, and wherein the degree of the bulgingincreases toward the intermediate portion between the base members. 3.The cushioning member according the claim 1, wherein the pile yarns thatare located toward one side from the center in the direction of width ofthe base members are cut at the intermediate portion between the basemembers.
 4. The cushioning member according to claim 1, wherein thenumber of the pile yarns set per inch along the length of the basemembers is 1000 to
 10000. 5. The cushioning member according to claim 1,wherein weather resistance is given to the base members or the pileyarns.
 6. The cushioning member according to claim 1, wherein each ofthe pile yarns has a single yarn fineness of 5 to 110 decitex.
 7. Thecushioning member according to claim 1, wherein the pile yarns areformed by multi-filament yarns or mono-filament yarns, and wherein eachof the pile yarns has a fineness of 100 to 2200 decitex.
 8. Thecushioning member according to claim 1, further comprising a film,wherein the film bridges between the base members to extend along alongitudinal direction of the base members.
 9. The cushioning memberaccording to claim 8, wherein the film is substantially located at thecenter in the width direction of the base members.
 10. The cushioningmember according to claim 9, wherein the first and second cut pile yarnsare located at one side of the film, and non-cut pile yarns are locatedat the other side of the film.
 11. The cushioning member according toclaim 8, wherein the film is located outward of the pile yarns.
 12. Thecushioning member according to claim 11, wherein, at a side oppositefrom the cut, the film covers the non-cut pile yarns.
 13. The cushioningmember according to claim 8, wherein the film is made a polypropylenesheet.
 14. The cushioning member according to claim 8, wherein thecushioning member is located between two airtight space forming membersthat are connected to each other to form an airtight space, wherein oneof the base members is attached to one of the airtight space formingmembers, and the other base member is attached to the other airtightspace forming member.
 15. The cushioning member according to claim 1,wherein the cushioning member is located between a guiding member and amoving member movable along the guiding member, wherein one of the basemembers is attached to the guiding member, and the other base member isin contact with the moving member.
 16. The cushioning member accordingto claim 1, wherein the cushioning member is located between a guidingmember and a sheet-like or plate-like moving member movable along theguiding member, and wherein the base members are attached to the guidingmember, and the cut receives an edge portion of the moving member. 17.The cushioning member according to claim 1, wherein the cushioningmember is attached to an edge portion of sheet-like or plate-likemember, and wherein the cut receives the edge portion of the sheet-likeor plate-like member.
 18. A cushioning member for a shutter apparatus,the shutter apparatus including a pair of support frames opposed to eachother, and a shutter supported by the support frames to move along thesupport frames, wherein the shutter is capable of being wound at oneend, and each side of the shutter is supported by the corresponding oneof the support frames, wherein the cushioning member being disposedbetween each of the support frames and the corresponding side of theshutter, the cushioning member comprising: a pair of base membersdisposed in a manner opposed to each other and having a band shape; anda plurality of pile yarns bridging between the base members, thecushioning member being characterized in that: one of the base membersis attached to each of the support frames, and the other base member isin contact with the shutter; and some of the pile yarns are cut at anintermediate portion between the base members to form first cut pileyarns and second cut pile yarns, the first and second cut pile yarnsfacing each other with a cut in between.
 19. A method of manufacturing acushioning member, characterized by: a wrapping step of wrapping pileyarns around surfaces of an endless band while rotating the endlessband; a base member supply step of supplying to the pile yarns woundaround the endless band of pair of base members which are band-shapedfrom opposite lateral sides of the endless band; a bonding step ofbringing the supplied base members into contact with the pile yarns, andbonding the base members to the pile yarns by using ultrasonic waves; acutting step of cutting the pile yarns located on one of inner and outercircumferences of the endless band at intermediate portion between thebase members, thereby forming a cut in the pile yarns; and a separatingstep of separating the pile yarns together with the base members fromthe endless band via the cut.
 20. The manufacturing method according toclaim 19, further comprising a film supply step performed prior to thewrapping step, wherein, in the film supply step, a film is supplied to acircumferential surface of the endless band that is opposite from theside on which the pile yarns to be cut in the cutting step are provided,such that the film covers the circumferential surface, and wherein, inthe bonding step, the pile yarns and the film are bonded to the basemembers.
 21. The manufacturing method according to claim 19, furthercomprising a film supply step performed between the wrapping step andthe base member supply step, wherein, in the film supply step, a film issupplied to a circumferential surface of the endless band that isopposite from the side on which the pile yarns to be cut in the cuttingstep are provided, such that the film covers the pile yarns on thecircumferential surface, and wherein, in the bonding step, the pileyarns and the film are bonded to the base members.